Falcons vs. Giants 2015 picks and predictions: No clear favorite at MetLife Stadium

Coming off an inexplicable, gut-wrenching season-opening loss, the New York Giants look to rebound in their home opener against the Atlanta Falcons. Although the G-men opened as slight 2.5-point favorites in Vegas, the experts are decidedly split on who will win this early-season NFC matchup.

The headlines this week in the Big Apple focused on the poor play-calling by Tom Coughlin and horrible decision-making by Eli Manning in the final minutes of their Week 1 debacle, overshadowing some of the positive takeaways from the one-point defeat.

The Giants' offensive line -- a big question mark heading into the season -- showed promise by giving up just one sack and paved the way for 99 yards on the ground. Although the defense imploded down the stretch on Dallas' final two possessions, the effort from the secondary was impressive. It mostly neutralized a talented Cowboys passing attack and flashed its playmaking potential with two interceptions, a forced fumble and five passes defended.

New York will need to rely on another strong performance from its defensive backs this week, facing one of the league's elite receiving talents in Falcons wideout Julio Jones. The Pro Bowl receiver torched the Eagles last week for 141 yards and two touchdowns, and looks primed for another monster year. If veteran wideout Roddy White, who caught four passes for 84 yards in Week 1, can hold off Father Time and produce another solid season to compliment the dynamic Jones, the Falcons could boast one of the best receiving corps in the league.

The Falcons also have to be encouraged by the dominant performance of their new-look defense last week, especially during a first half in which the Eagles had more punts (5) than points (3). They debuted a far more physical and aggressive defense last week under new head coach Dan Quinn, and it appears that the tutelage of the former Seahawks defensive coordinator is already paying huge dividends in Atlanta.